not so alone anymore
by monotone no natsu
Summary: Will smirked. "you gave the unfortunate bloke quite a scratch." she smirked back. "well my mum always thought a lady should know how to handle a knife." Will/OC Post CW Prince
1. Chapter 1

"_Thank you for what you did for Tessa," said Jem. Will could not look at Jem; he looked at the wall, where their shadows blended together in relief, so that one could not tell where one boy ended and the other began. "Thank you for watching Brother Enoch pull shards of metal out of my back afterward," he said._

_Jem laughed. "What else are parabatai for?"_

**XXxXX**

Will threw his head back, gratefully gulping down the chilly night air. His lungs burned and he coughed a few times. He looked around, hoping no one had seen him in his pitiful state. Satisfied that no one was looking, he walked briskly for the Institute's gate. He allowed one stray tear to snake down his face, before burying the rest of his grief under an emotionless mask. Though he feared if someone looked close enough, they could see the hollowness in his eyes. And he almost hoped no one would ever get that close again.

He trudged down the road, head bent down against the occasional gust of wind. He had been unable to stay with Jem any longer, disgusted with himself for even thinking of asking him to give up Tessa. If anyone deserved a happy ending it was undoubtedly Jem. Will hated to admit it, but after everything that happened, he had no right to Tessa at all. The thought cut him deep. He knew better than anyone that Jem had a fixed amount of time left, and that he deserved to spend every second happy.

Rain began to fall lightly on Will as he made his way over to a mundane tavern. He was fully intending to drink himself senseless. And although he claimed to get hammered at least three times a week, he had rarely done heavy drinking. Just tossing a glass over himself and some highly convincing acting was enough to keep up his worthless drunk image. But ever since Tessa had showed up, it had become much less convincing. It used to be easy to fool them.

When he opened the door the smell of alcohol and cigar smoke crushed him like a wave. He had never really cared for the scent, and crinkled his nose as he shouldered his way through the crowd. He swung himself into a bar stool, not caring what the bartender placed in front of him. As soon as the man moved, Will grabbed the cup and downed all of it. The liquid fire flowed down his throat, bringing feeling back to his numb body. He set it down and it was immediately refilled.

Jem and Tessa…..married.

Felling his chest contract, he took another sip, feeling the heat return some color to his pale face. Jem was indeed a luck bastard, having won Tessa over in such a short time. It killed him to think about it, but Will knew that if he had been able to, Jem would have been the one to shield Tessa from the explosion. Tessa….intelligent grey eyes, wavy brown hair, soothing voice. And forever off limits.

If only he had looked into the nature of his 'curse.' If only he hadn't been so stupid, would he be the one Tessa was engaged to now? Unable to stand thinking about the 'if only', he downed the rest of his drink. He set the cup down, cursing the fact that he wasn't even close to feeling drunk. He paid the bartender and stalked off.

He'd have to go to the Devil if he wanted some stronger stuff. Just drink himself into a somewhat pleasant sleep unlike the last time. Then he stopped. He had promised Jem and Tessa not to indulge in warlock powders anymore. No matter how much he wanted to at the moment, the least he could do was honor their wishes. Even though he wanted nothing more than to feel the bliss that had come from the dream. It had honestly been the happiest moment he experienced since he broke both his and Tessa's heart on the roof.

He made a move to step forward when he caught the sounds of shuffling and muted curses coming from the alley to his right. Quickly casting glamour over himself, he stepped into the narrow alley. There was a group of about 12 or so men, all crowded around a much smaller figure. They all looked like normal mundane addicts; unkept hair, muddy and tattered clothes, and they reeked of alcohol, cigar smoke, and opium. The smaller figure was dressed like a normal boy, black trousers and boots, a white shirt, and a traveling cloke. A shadow cast by his hat covered most of his face, as was his hair.

"Damn kid," one man, the gang leader Will supposed, spat. "Cough up all the money you stole from us!" the smaller boy smirked. "I've stolen nothing from you. I won that money fairly. S' not my fault you fatasses don't have any skill for gambling. Your pea-brains must work awful hard to just process the rules." Will smirked. The kid had guts.

"Yer a real dumbass if you think yer getting' away with that!" the gang leader yelled, knotting his fists into the boy's shirt. He lifted the boy off the ground, face flushed with fury. The men around him were in a similar fit of rage. The first punch thrown was a direct hit to the boy's jaw. The hat flew off his head and murmurs of surprise were heard as a long braid fell down the 'boy's' back.

"Oi boss! He's a girl!" the man standing next to 'the boss' yelled. "I can see that you dumbass!" the boss yelled. He slammed her small body against the brick wall. "So a girl stole our money now did she?" he said throwing her a leering glance. "She's not that bad looking anyway, there are other ways she can repay us."

Will's smirk vanished as he saw their hungry looks, and made a move to remove the glamour. But before he could, there was a sudden howl of pain. He looked up to see the man drop the girl and clutch his groin. The girl was quick to land, and grabbing his neck, slammed his head into the wall. He dropped like a stone, crumpling on the floor. Will was more surprised than shocked at the sight. His grin returning as her challenge was spoken.

"Anyone else wanna give it a go?"

The men quickly recovered from their initial shock, and rushed her all at once. She led them into what could only be described as a dance. She spun, ducked, and dodged with the speed and agility very few girls could manage to achieve. Somewhere in the fight, one man managed to catch her braid. She pulled a small dagger from her robes, quickly severing the ends, and slicing the man's finger. He let out a grunt of pain, cradling his hand. The braid slipped loose, and her ebony hair spilled out over her shoulders. It flowed beautifully around her, casting ethereal shadows over her face. Her eyes glinted with anger.

In turn she smashed each one of their heads into the wall, until they all lay in a heap in the alley floor. Satisfied with her work, she leaned against the alley wall. She panted heavily, wiping sweat from her forehead. Will stepped closer to her, careful not to make any noise. Now that he was closer he took in her appearance.

She had ebony locks that flowed in soft waves down to her waist, similar to Will's in color. She was pretty for her age, which Will guessed was around 16. She had pale skin, but not pale enough to look ill. Her face was flushed a lovely rose color high in her cheeks. There was a bruise forming where the man had punched her jaw, and it was a startling purple color in the light from the gas lamp above her. Long bangs fell in front of her eyes, the ebony color contrasting greatly with her bright green eyes. For a sickening moment Will was reminded of Gabriel. But it vanished as he caught the look of hollowness hidden under the anger.

The way his eyes looked now.

At that moment she looked up, looking right through him. Will got that momentary feeling of annoyance. It was still irritating for him to be looked at like he wasn't there. He wondered if he'd ever get over it.

"So were you just planning on standing there the whole time?" Will froze. "No need to act so surprised Shadowhunter; I've known you were there since the beginning." Will undid his glamour while he smirked at her. "That was quite a scratch you gave that unfortunate bloke," he said. She smirked back. "Well my mum always said a lady should know how to use a knife," she said standing. Will offered a hand, but she ignored it.

"So you have the sight?" she smiled. "Not quite," she said, pulling off the cloke. Where the sleeves had covered it, there was an eye inked on the back of her right hand. It stood out against her fair skin, making it look like it had been burned in. Which really wasn't that far off the mark when you thought about it.

"Shadowhunter," he whispered. She nodded, stepping up to him. "More or less," she said. "I haven't completely finished my training." She looked up, eyes widening as their gazes locked.

"It's a pleasure to see you again Will Herondale." His eyebrows shot up. She giggled. It was a surprisingly pleasant sound. "If you don't remember me I'm not offended," she said. "Should I have remembered?" he asked. She shook her head. "We've only met once."

Will regarded her curiously. "Then how is it you seem to remember me?" he asked. Then to his surprise, she reached out her hand, brushing his hair back from his forehead.

"I could never forget those eyes." And despite himself…..Will blushed.

**XXxXX** **Author's Notes** **XXxXX**

**Mitsu-chan: Will is blushing for someone new!**

**Meimei: wow are you sure this is Will we're talking about?**

**Mitsu-chan: hehe it's the new Will**

**Meimei: No Will! Don't change! _, cyyyyyy**

**Mitsu-chan: well….if you had read the book in between finals today you would get what I'm talking about**

**Meimei: too bad :p**

**Mitsu-chan: hey everyone! Meimei hasn't finished book 1 yet!**

**Meimei: thanks for telling the world….i sure feel the love**

**Mitsu-chan: *hugs* we do love you…..but we'd love you more if you had finished the book though**

**Meimei: well sorrrrrryyyyy I get busy and I'm working on other fanfics too you know that T/T**

**Mitsu-chan: I know I know, but it was boring writing this chap by myself**

**Meimei: you'll survive**

**Mitsu-chan: XP**

**Meimei: love you too!**

**Mitsu-chan: everyone motivate her to finish the book!**


	2. Chapter 2

"I could never forget those eyes."

Her voice had taken on a dreamlike state. Will flushed, not quite expecting an answer like that. But in a moment, she seemed to realize what she was doing. She stepped back quickly, letting his hair fall back in place.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "That was uncalled for."

She lowered her head, her cheeks flushing a light pink. Will shook himself mentally, trying to clear his jumbled thoughts. He tried to focus, wondering where they had met before.

"Well, you know who I am," he said. "Mind telling me who you are?"

Her head snapped up.

"Oh, right," she said. "I'm Falen. Falen Hightower."

Well the Hightower bit sounded familiar. As if he had voiced his thoughts, she spoke.

"Still not ring a bell?" she asked.

"A bit," Will admitted. "Mind refreshing my memory?"

She giggled.

"Not at all."

Will felt the corners of his mouth quirk up. Her laugh was a pleasant sound, light and soft. Not shrill and forced, like most girls were.

"Well our fathers were the actual reason we met."

She had taken a seat on one of the many crates that was pushed against the wall. Will followed her example, sitting at a 'respectable' distance.

"Like your father, my mum left the Clave because she couldn't marry the one she loved."

Will sat and listened; glad he found a way to take his mind off things.

"Your mum had offered to watch me or something of that sort while they went out. I guess my mum was sick. But I remember playing with you and Ella and Cicely-" Will flinched.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she squeaked. "I was careless."

Will looked up, meeting her apologetic gaze.

"So you know?" She nodded.

"Well, I knew it wouldn't stay secret," he said, looking down at his folded hands.

"I lost my dad not long after you lost her."

His eyes widened slightly.

"Sorry," he murmured.

"It's alright," she whispered. "I caused you discomfort, so I can stand some myself."

To say Will was shocked was an understatement.

"That's not something you hear often," he said, suppressing a grin.

"I know how it feels," she said standing. "If you ever want to talk, you can always come find me."

He looked back to her.

"You're not staying at the Institute?"

She shook her head.

"I'm looking for my own place. I haven't a home anymore." She hugged herself. "My mum passed on last summer, and I couldn't afford to keep the house."

Will studied her intently. She was one piece of his past he didn't have to let go. Even if he couldn't remember it clearly. The words were out of his mouth before he could think.

"Come stay with us."

Her eyes widened.

"But, I don't want to impose!" Will smirked.

"You're a Shadowhunter Falen. You won't be imposing. Charlotte would love to have you."

"But still!" she protested.

"Falen." Will's voice had taken a sudden grim tone, causing her to stop stuttering. "You're a Shadowhunter orphan, it's the Institute's job to take care of you until you turn eighteen."

Her cheeks colored as she nodded. Will stood.

"Let's go," he said, nodding in the direction of the street.

"All right," she huffed. "Just a moment."

She turned, and began crawling up the stack of crates. She reached the top one, pulling a raised nail out of the wood. She slid the top of the crate off, retrieving a carpetbag from inside. She slid back down, bag in fist.

Will offered a hand, and this time she took it. She stepped down, smiling gratefully at him.

"Alright, I'm good."

They started walking back the way Will came. As they stepped into the street, he turned to her.

"So how exactly did we meet?" he asked.

A small smile spread across her lips as she clutched the handles of her bag.

"We were playing hide and seek," she said softly. "All four of us. Ella was it, and we had scattered around the house and the surrounding area. I had climbed a tree at the edge of an orchard.

I eventually fell asleep waiting for you guys to find me, and when I woke up it was past noon. I thought I had won since I never heard anyone shout for me, so I went to go climb down. But then I realized my talents were in climbing trees, not getting down."

She looked up at him, amusement dancing in her eyes.

"You found me not long after, and helped me get back down. Then we spent the rest of the day hiding from Ella and Cicely."

He didn't remember that at all to be honest, but he didn't really have the heart to at the moment. She looked so happy, and he had taken away enough happiness already.

Before they knew it, they were in front of the Institute's gates. Her eyes lit up as she looked up at the gothic spires, and despite the fact that it was dark, gloomy, and starting to rain again, looked like there was no other place in the word she'd rather be.

"It's beautiful," she whispered.

"Let's just get inside before you catch a cold or something," he replied.

She smiled at him as he swung the gates open and followed him up to the large doors. It was dim inside, with the occasional witchlight stone mounted on the walls.

"Sophie!" Will yelled as he caught sight of a white cap walking down the hall.

It stopped, before pivoting and slowly walking over.

"Where have you been!" a voice belonging to a young woman scolded. "Mrs. Branwell has been worried sick about you Master Will! What have you been- oh, who is this?"

She eyed Falen curiously, taking in the boy's clothes, the severed ends of her hair, and the purplish bruise forming on her jaw.

"This is Falen," Will answered softly. "She's an old friend and a fellow orphan. Can you show her to a spare room?"

Sophie's eyes widened as she finally caught sight of the rune on the back of Falen's hand and nodded curtly.

"This way Miss," she says softly.

"Night," Falen whispers before following the Sophie down the dark halls. "Thank you."

Will stared after her for a few moments before he finally started making his way back to his room. Falen Hightower huh?

This had been one of the rare time's he had actually enjoyed hearing something about his time before he became a Shadowhunter. A small smile tugged at his lips as he stuffed his hands in his coat pockets.

He'd talk to her more about it tomorrow.

**~Author's Notes~**

**i'm so sorry for neglecting this story for so long! but i kinda got a little sidetraked with some naruto fics and the fact that i'm kinda on my own now. meimei and hana don't talk to ma anymore, so i've had to revise the plotlines of a lot of our fics, so i apologize again. i'm slow with stufflike this. anyways till next time!**

**~mitsu-chan**


End file.
